Techbargains: Audio Reviews

You know what can help turn a bad get together into a good one, or at least make it a little more tolerable? Music. We have all been victims of the awkward silence and feelings that accompany that in-law family reunion, or that house party that a friend invited you to where you know absolutely no one and said friend has since ditched you in the corner for the hottie across the room or even that mandatory holiday work party that you dread going to and count down the hours until you can go home. The remedy? Just turn on some good jams and everyone will feel just a little better and hopefully be just a little more friendly. The folks at SuperTooth want to help you conquer those music-free moments with their D4 Bluetooth stereo speaker. The D4 allows you to wirelessly play music for the masses, weighs very little and has a nifty carry strap for easy transport which may even have people saying please don't stop the music!

Main features and specifications:

Bluetooth version 4.0

Up to 30 feet playback range

Frequency: 2.4 GHz

Up to 12 hours of playback

Bass reflex

8W RMS power

Multi-pairing features allows up to an 8 phone connection

Weight: 1.1 pounds

Dimensions: 4.6 x 4.6 x 6.1 inches

Two year replacement warranty

Available in black, red, blue, grey and white

What We Liked:

Pair It Up: The true test of any Bluetooth device is seeing if we can get it paired up quickly without having to read the instruction manual. Pairing should be cake and the D4 lived up to our expectations and we were blasting our tunes about 15 seconds after we powered it on. This speaker also has NFC pairing capabilities, which allows you to put your NFC enabled device over the speaker and get an instant connection. It can be paired with up to eight phones so you don't have to worry about having to reset it each time you want to share a connection with another phone.

Speaker Layout: The front half of the D4 houses powerful speakers which are covered in soft cloth mesh while the backside has the power/MFB button, LED indicator, charging port and a stereo line input port. The shell of the speaker is finished in scratch resistant plastic, with a perfectly handy soft touch handle to carry it around. Like we said above getting a connection was quick and simple by pressing and holding the power button for about eight seconds until the LED indicator began flashing blue and red. Once a connection was established, the LED indicator will turn blue and blinks every three seconds. A short press of the power button allows you to reconnect to the last device you had paired with the speaker or you can double press the power button while in pairing mode to clear your pairing list. A blinking green LED indicates that the speaker is disconnected while blinking purple means that your pairing list is being erased.

Playback Times: When played at medium volumes, we had no problem getting almost twelve hours of playback from the D4 as long as you remember to power it down in between uses. However, when it is played continuously at max volumes expect to get only about two to three hours of playback time, just a heads up in case you are the one providing the sound for the next house party. When the speaker is plugged in and charging, the LED turns red and then green when a full charge is reached. It does take about two hours to get a full charge back onto the battery in this speaker. You get a USB to micro USB cable for charging and a standard 3.5mm stereo jack cable when you need to connect a device to the speaker as well.

Weighs Nothing: The D4 had us fooled at first because when we looked at it through the packaging it looked like it would weigh at least a couple of pounds. Nope, it weighs in at just over a pound making it super portable for all ages to carry around. This speaker is just small enough that it can fit pretty much anywhere too.

Monumental Sound: When we compare this portable speaker with the array that we have tested out it, it knocks the trousers off of many of them when it comes to sound. Even though the speaker itself is designed to produce sound in one direction, it can get super loud and no one is going to have a problem hearing it even if the room is packed. One thing is for sure, the D4 can get super loud! Since there are no buttons on the speaker for anything but power, you will have to control everything else from your BT device, which may not necessarily be a bad thing if you want to be the one in charge of the music. Range was great and we had no problems reaching the 30 feet before we experienced any interference, even around corners and down stairs. When using your phone to play audio and a call comes in, the music will pause until you hang up and the audio will then resume.

What We Didn't Like:

Quality of the Sound: The shape and design of the D4 makes the speaker deliver the sound in one direction, meaning that if you are not standing in the line of output than you are not going to be able to hear the music as clearly unless you are right next to it or it is turned all the way up. We also noticed that this speaker lacked bass definition and depth in almost every song we tested out. Although the volume can get loud and we did not notice any kind of static feedback even at max volume, the details in high and mid tones as well as general richness of sound were definitely lacking.

Minor Grips: The first time we connected the D4 with our phone, it almost woke up the whole house because it started out at max volume! It only did it the first time but it sure caught us off guard. We are also not fans of the $50 price tag on this speaker, although it is a good portable speaker it is far from perfect when it comes to overall quality of sound.

Our Verdict:

If you are looking for a simple and very portable BT speaker than look no further. The D4 by SuperTooth produces powerful audio and is the perfect speaker for both indoors and out. Although we were not totally impressed with the bass and tone clarity, for a less expensive portable speaker the D4 can get very loud without distorting the sound. Even though it produces sound in the direction you point it, you will still be able to hear it in a crowded room whether or not you are standing right next to it. There is no doubt about it, the folks at SuperTooth have produced yet another solidly built speaker that is easy to take along and believe us, it soon will become the speaker you will want to take along.

Think about all the ways that you use music on a daily basis. Perhaps you use it to declare the mood you're in, help you get your work done or help you relax. But one of the best ways is to help motivate you when you exercise. That, of course, raises an interesting question – how do you find a pair of headphones that produces great sound, while also putting up with the intensity of a hard workout that will fully challenge you from head to toe.

Monster tried to answer this question with one of its newest pair of over-ear headphones, the Octagon. Partnering with the UFC, the Octagon takes its name from the ring that expects the absolute best from everyone that steps into its punishing walls. So as the official headset of the UFC, all fighters in the company are using these headphones for training and fight night entrances to get pumped up. With the tagline of "Ultimate Sound. Music For Champions," and this kind of pedigree, is the Octagon right for you during your work, your workout and your play?

Features:

Powerful Pure Monster Sound

Black and Red Matte Finish

Incredibly Tight, Deep Bass

Swiveling Padded Ear Cups

No Batteries Required

Ultra-Durable Construction

ProStudio Link Tangle-Free Coil Cable

What We Liked:

Design: Give this to the Octagon -- the design of the headphones definitely screams aggressive, just like someone that's ready to defend their title by all means necessary. Everything from the octagonal shapes cut into the earcups to the additional branding on the swivel hinge reinforces the attitude that is part and parcel of the UFC, and feels in keeping with Monster's design aesthetic. The headphones feel solid to the touch, but not heavy, and the extra padding on the adjustable headband helps it withstand punishment in the gym or with day to day use by throwing it in your bag.

Another thing to take note of are the earcups of the Octagon, which are large, plush and extremely comfortable. In fact, these are some of the softest earcups that you may ever find on an over-ear headphone, which is great for extended use. What's also nice is the stitching on the earcups, which provides a nice, understated accent to the headphones.

Noise Cancellation: Monster doesn't actually tout it at a feature of the Octagon headphones, but the pair of headphones actually provides passive noise cancellation thanks to the thick nature of the ear cups. Simply slip them on, and the closed nature of the headphones helps eliminate some external noise levels, which can be further drowned out by cranking up your music. It's not as good as a pair with active noise cancelling, but it's definitely a bonus feature that improves the listening experience, and could be the reason that Monster touts "no batteries required" as a feature.

Dual Cables For Everyday Use: The Octagon comes with two separate cords that you can choose to use with your devices. The first is what Monster calls the Pro Studio Link cable, which is tangle resistant and comes with a coiled section to help alleviate any snags that the cable could get in day to day use. You may find that the cable with coil up every now and then, but all it takes is a second to straighten out these problems. The other is the ControlTalk Universal cord, which lets you control your music play back and answer incoming calls. Audio quality through the microphone on this cord is outstanding, with many people thinking that I was on a Bluetooth headset or on a brand new cell phone. It's becoming a standard for many higher end headphones to provide two cables, and it's nice to see this added here as well.

Sound Quality: The Octagon headphones produced truly excellent sound regardless of what we played through the headphones. Whether we were listening to bass heavy EDM and rap, or guitar laden classic rock, every single song sounded excellent. However, while initial play was strong, breaking in the headphones really expanded the sound range for the headphones, making notes fuller and the overall sound of the Octagon richer. It was easy to watch a movie on this pair of unpowered over ear headphones and find the sound to be on par with more expensive, battery powered cans.

What We Didn't Like:

Lack of In-line Volume Controls: The Octagon may come with two cables, and the ControlTalk Universal cable may be clear when talking on the phone, but there are no in-line volume controls to adjust your media content or your phone call volume. This is a pretty standard item on most headphone controls, so it's somewhat disappointing to see this omission which wouldn't cost much, yet would add so much more to the experience.

Stiff Hinges: One of the things that Monster claims as a feature is the swiveling ear cups for either side of the headphone, allowing you to still listen to your music and conduct a conversation with someone near you. However, the hinges for both ear cups are extremely stiff, making it virtually impossible to shift an ear cup without virtually removing the headphones from your head. Forget the option to do this with one hand; trying it with the hinge will simply dislodge the non-swiveled cup from your other ear. We tried this multiple times a day during our testing period, but the hinge never got any better. That stiffness might be good for durability, but it's bad for that particular feature.

Price: You're going to pay quite a lot for the chance to own the Octagon -- it currently sells for $279 dollars on Monster's site, down from the $299 that it was originally priced at. That's a lot to ask for these headphones, and opens it up to so much competition from other manufacturers that produce similar style cans for cheaper, or ones that provide much more product information for the hardcore audiophile to debate specs. It may be harder to justify the price for some people without comparison tests and some personal debate.

Our Verdict:

Is the Monster Octagon the best pair of headphones to tackle your media wherever you go? For those focused on the look of their equipment, the Octagon looks incredibly slick and polished, while also giving a bit of attitude with its octagonal lines. But it's also incredibly comfortable thanks to its padded earcups, which is what you want for a pair of headphones that you wear for long periods of time. The big issues with the Octagon are the features that just don't work nearly as well as you'd hope. The lack of in-line volume on the cables is disappointing, the stiffness of the swivel hinges for the ear cups essentially eliminates the effectiveness of the hinges themselves, and the price means that you may find other headphones with the same functionality at a cheaper price. However, the sound produced by the Octagon is truly excellent, and can handle any genre of music, any style of movie or any effect from a game with fantastic audio results. This does speak to Monster's claim of pro studio sound, and the Octagon backs it from top to bottom.

Some portable speakers are designed to sit on your computer desk and add a touch of elegance to the space. Others are designed to look more like a rock and take a beating so you can tote them around without worrying about accidently breaking them. The Lyrix Jive is one of the latter. Its hard plastic casing and rubbery silicone cover makes it a great traveling companion no matter where you're going. It's resistant to moisture, dirt, and drops, and has a giant suction cup on the bottom makes it easy to stick the Jive to pretty much any smooth surface. Suitable to take with you on pretty much any outdoor activity except water sports, the Lyric Jive is built to last so that you can focus on doing things other than keeping your speaker safe.

Notable Specs:

Bluetooth 4.0 (with legacy support for older versions)

Silicone rubber case for dirt and water resistance

Powerful suction cup easily sticks to smooth surfaces

Standard A2DP and AVRCP protocols for audio playback and control

Built-in mic for answering calls

4-5 hour battery life

Includes short USB cable for charging

What We Liked:

Rugged Build: It probably won't survive being run over by your car, but the Jive can withstand drops from moderate heights without breaking a sweat. Its internal plastic shell is surprisingly tough, so you can just chuck it into your car or bag or anywhere else you want to put it. The Jive is designed to take above-average abuse so you don't have to sorry about keeping it safe. The outer silicone covering gives it a little extra impact resistance, but is mainly designed to keep out the elements. Keep in mind that it's only water resistant, not waterproof; if you drop it in a lake, it's probably not going to survive. But it should be able to handle being in light rain without a problem. The dust cover over the charging port and power switch also does a great job of keeping dirt and dust out of those components.

Suction Cup Will Hold Indefinitely: The silicone covering has a seamless suction cup built into the bottom of the Jive. It's powerful enough to hang upside down on completely smooth surfaces (like glass) for several days without showing any signs of losing suction. It can still hold for several hours on imperfect smooth surfaces (think brushed aluminum) or you can suction it to something like a tabletop just to keep it from moving. And when you're ready to pack it up, just pull up on the small tab on the side of the cup and it comes right off.

Versatile Functions: The suction cup design gives the Jive some surprising uses. The user manual shows that it can function as a tablet stand by suctioning to the back of your tablet, for instance. Unfortunately, we found that this still leaves most tablets feeling pretty wobbly and prone to sliding around, so that's not necessarily a great idea. However, the Jive does work really well as an in-car wireless speaker. Just suction it to your windshield where it won't obstruct your view and bam! You have a car speaker that easily connects to your music devices and is going to stay in place even if you go off-roading. It'll be within easy reaching distance so you can use its controls to adjust the volume or change songs without taking your eyes off the road.

What We Didn't Like:

Annoying Volume Control: The Jive has three buttons: a plus, a minus, and a play/pause. Single pressing them skips to the next song, skips to the previous song, and plays/pauses the music, respectively. Unfortunately, adjusting the sound volume requires holding down the plus or minus buttons. This makes it very difficult to fine-tune the volume level. After a short delay, you just get a steady increase or decrease in volume until you let off the button. Further, the Jive doesn't have a very good "low volume" range. Instead of fading into silence, there's a stopping point where the volume just suddenly cuts out. Between these two problems, it's often easier to just adjust the volume on your device if you want any kind of precise control, especially at lower volumes.

Muddy Sound Quality: While the Jive excels at being the speaker you don't have to worry about protecting, the tradeoff for that comes out of the sound quality. It doesn't sound bad necessarily, but it definitely doesn't sound quite as good as most average portable speakers. Sounds get kind of muddled together, and aren't as crisp as we'd have liked. Similarly, bass output was pretty disappointing, and sounded very un-impactful. There's also a constant (albeit almost unnoticeable) static hiss that comes through. To be fair, the Jive is probably going to be an improvement over your music device's built-in speakers, but it isn't going to compare to a "desktop" speaker.

Our Verdict:

What the Lyrix Jive lacks in sound quality it makes up for in durability and its super-low price of $20. Sadly, it's really not the kind of speaker you'd want to use at your desk; you can get much better sound quality and physical aesthetics from other speakers. Still, if you're an on-the-go person looking for a speaker you can take with you anywhere and easily replace if needed, the Jive is definitely something worth looking at.

Headphones have evolved from the basic accessories that you absentmindedly plugged into your phone, MP3 player, tablet or other device. Today, your headphones can provide noise cancellation, boost the audio levels of media playback, and even go completely wireless. The end result is that the aural experience that was once reserved for sound engineers, DJs and performers can now be acquired by consumers for an affordable price. Phiaton's MS 530 Chord headphones are the top of the company's headphone line, designed to highlight its expertise in sound quality, engineering, comfort and technology. Let's dissect the bells and whistles of this set of headphones after a quick spec breakdown.

Comfort: Many on-ear cans are designed to rest on the earlobe, which helps to channel sound to your ears when you're listening to content but also has the additional problem of becoming uncomfortable over prolonged periods of time. The pressure exerted on your ears can make prolonged use of the on-ears painful. This isn't really an issue with the Chord MS 530s thanks to its cushioned earpads. In fact, we've worn the headphones between ten and twelve hours of constant use and never felt uncomfortable with them on our head.

Multipoint Connection: One of the annoying features of some Bluetooth enabled devices is pairing it to your phone, only to have to pair it up with your tablet when you want to listen to content on a tablet, pair it again for content from your laptop, and finally re-pair with your phone. The pairing process isn't that big a deal, but it takes time to set or reset the connection. Plus, the device can get confused if you try to turn on a tablet and phone with its profile info, as it tries to figure out which one to connect to. Much of that issue is resolved with the intro of the Multipoint connection, which lets you connect to up to two separate products at the same time without signal confusion or problems. Turning on a third device didn't seem to cause any signal confusion either; in fact, if the Chord was already paired to two products, it ignored the third until one of the pairs was turned off, at which point it would automatically try to sync. That's the way that Bluetooth syncing should go.

Dual Microphone: Plenty of headphones have microphones attached so you can make and receive phone calls, but the audio quality of the call can be suspect because of ambient noise, echoes during the What's really nice about the Chord MS 530s is that it has a dual microphone setup for something called CVC or Clear Voice Capture. It's designed to separate out your voice from background noise, ensuring that the person on the other end can hear you clearly. You might not remember the specific catch phrase for the technology, but the noise suppression and echo cancellation really makes calls sound crystal clear.

Noise Cancellation: The MS 530 uses active noise cancellation to cancel out up to 98% of ambient background noise. That's notable because the 40mm drivers are already pumping out some impressive sound, but with the noise cancellation, the amount of external noise that would hinder your chances of hearing your music, movies or games is somewhat decreased.

Battery Life: The Chord MS 530 has an incredible battery for virtually any wireless headphones or headphones that use Bluetooth. You can receive up to 18 hours of continual play out of the battery with the noise cancellation feature turned on, or up to 30 hours with the cancellation feature turned off (but connected via Bluetooth). Standby times are even longer, providing up to 49 hours with cancellation on and almost a thousand hours with it off. Even better, the headphones only need two and a half hours to recharge before it's ready for use, which is just exceptional -- there aren't many other headphones out there that have better battery times.

Sound Quality: Saving the best part for last, the MS 530s are powered by 40mm titanium drivers, which are designed to enhance the sonic presence of audio and produce deep, rich bass. In fact, Phiaton claims that the sound quality is enhanced by coating the drivers with titanium, and there is something that can be said for the strong audio for the headphones. Highs are very clean, mids are nice and full and low notes and bass have quite a lot of power. It's clear that Phiaton's expertise with audio shines with the MS530s. In fact, while many on-ear headphones may feel a bit thin with its sound, the MS 530s produced audio that seemed on par with a number of over ear headphones on the market.

What We Didn't Like:

Somewhat Weak Noise Cancellation: Yes, we noted the noise cancellation as a plus, but there are some negatives to be found as well. For many active noise cancellation headphones, turning on the feature immediately starts to eliminate the ambient sound, amplifying the audio of whatever you happen to be listening to. For the MS 530s, activating the noise cancellation feels as though it takes about five seconds or so before it's fully kicked on, and you would swear that you can hear the cancellation rev itself up to full power.

Another complication of the MS 530 is the open ear nature of the headphones. Unlike over ear headphones, which help eliminate external sound by covering your ears, the on ear design means that you'll still hear external noise of varying volume levels -- it'll just be dampened somewhat when you have the cancellation turned on.

Sweaty On Ears: There's something about the material of the MS 530s that manages to make your ears sweat onto the cushion during use. This was the case even while sitting at a desk and listening to music while we sat in an air conditioned office, which we've never had with other headphones. Using them while walking meant that you'd have to take the headphones off and wipe them down regularly, because otherwise the earpads would get uncomfortably moist.

MultiFunction Button: Like many other headphones, you can control your music with the MS 530s. However, if you're using them wirelessly, you have to rely upon the multifunction button to control volume and all playback tasks, which can be very confusing to use, even with a lot of practice. For instance, pressing the button plays and pauses music, while pressing holding the button for varying seconds and pushing it forward or backwards will trigger skipping to the next song, or fast forward and rewind. While it's designed to let you do this without looking, you'll be hard pressed to not remove the headphones each and every time to make sure that you've actually got the correct result. It's just not intuitive, especially if you compare it to how easy it is to use the cord to control your playback functions.

Price: It's a minor issue, but some consumers may not want to spend 300 bucks on an on-ear headphone because they don't believe that the sound quality is there or that it's too expensive for this style of headphone. Instead, they'd prefer to spend that amount or more on closed over-ear cans. That's a subjective issue for the audiophile which could cause them to lose out on the audio quality of the Chords, but it's something to note.

Our Verdict:

As the flagship pair of headphones from Phiaton, the MS 530 Chord headphones demonstrate the company's experience with producing rich audio in its devices. The on-ear experience is on par with many over-ear cans on the market, while providing a comfortable experience for any audiophile using the pair for a prolonged period of time. The battery life for the Chords is easily one of the best available on the market of any wireless headphone, and other features like the multipoint connection for dual Bluetooth connectivity or Clear Voice Capture for clean phone calls help the headphones stand out.

On the other hand, the Chords do have some elements that just aren't as strong as you'd hope. The multifunction button operation on the headphones itself just isn't intuitive to operate without taking it off and concentrating, no matter how much you practice with it, which is one of the biggest detractions. The comfortable fit from the on-ear pads will make you sweat quite a lot, even without strenuous activity, while the noise cancellation doesn't eliminate as much external sound as you'd hope. All of that at a price that people would expect to spend for over ear headphones, and some consumers may be a bit shy to purchase them.

However, all this being said, the nature of the MS 530s still provides excellent audio quality in a stylish design that should appeal to even the discerning audiophile. If you're in need of a strong portable pair of headphones that can do double duty as a corded set, the Phiaton MS 530s should definitely be on your list.

One thing we've come to expect with Phiaton headphones is sound isn't the only aesthetic their designers and engineers are after. Design, look and feel, and choice of materials all seem to fall very high on the list of what goes into making a new pair. Their latest model, the Fusion MS 430, are an extremely attractive pair of on-ear headphones. Constructed of exotic materials such as carbon fiber and titanium-anodized aluminum, when you pick up the 430's you know you're holding a work of art. We had a fun time photographing these headphones because they simply have no "bad angles." From the perforated headband to the carbon fiber inlays, there is a lot going on. The Fusion MS 430's are an attractive pair of headphones, but how do they sound? Read on to find out.

Beautiful Design: The Fusion MS 430's are a beautifully crafted pair of headphones. They are heavy, almost to their downfall. The carbon fiber, which is an exceptionally lightweight and strong material used in sports cars finds its way onto the outside of the ear cups. While we don't see any weight savings as a result of the use of the carbon fiber, it looks great -- as does the perforated leather headband. Even the red cable comes with a chromed collar around the mini jack. Adding some function to the form, that cable can be connected on either the left or right side of the headphones for increased flexibility. Overall, these are very nice pair of headphones to spend time looking at.

Dual Cord Inputs: We like that you have the ability to use either side of the headphones for the cable connection point. This is especially useful if you have another pair of headphones or ear buds with an inline mic/control and you've gotten used to its fixed position. The connection is made with confidence on both sides and we don't foresee any issues with it coming lose. The cord that comes with the 430's matches the quality and looks of the actual headphones.

Sound Quality: The biggest question when it comes to reviewing headphones is "how do they sound?" Well, to sum it up, the 430's sound very good albeit with a few caveats. The first one is break-in period. Straight away, the drivers were a bit on the reserved side. The bass was lacking and the highs were not as brilliant as they should be. We set the headphones up to break-in for about 24 hours at normal listening level and came back for an audition. There was a marked improvement in both bass extension and high-end reproduction.

The second issue we found with the 430's was their need to be driven with some form of external amplification. When connected directly to an iPhone 5s we needed to push the volume well above the halfway mark to get them playing at a normal listening level. We also noticed the sound was not nearly as good as when they were connected to receiver or our AudioQuest DragonFly headphone DAC. We also found that the bass and treble needed to be tweaked to extract the best sound out of the 40mm drivers. When they were connected to a receiver -- with the bass and treble turned up -- and after break-in, the sound was very good for nearly all genres of music. Phiaton designs their headphones to sound more natural than competitors and we think this is accurate. Vocal heavy genres and jazz sounded exceptionally well. While the MS 430's have had more caveats than other headphones we've reviewed, they just demand slightly more attention to sound their best.

What We Didn't Like:

Not Comfortable For Long Periods of Use: When it comes to on-ear headphones it's generally hit or miss for extended use comfort levels. The MS 430's are not quite lightweight headphones and despite the use of carbon fiber in the design, they felt heavy after a long period of use. As we always say, when it comes to headphones, it's best to try on a pair before buying if possible.

Disappointing Sound With Mobile Devices: In order to extract the best sound from the 430's, we needed to connect them to a dedicated headphone amp or a home theater receiver. When used with our iPhone, which normally has no trouble powering larger headphones, we noticed a lack of bass and a need to push the volume higher than normal in order to get volume up to a comfortable listening level. Moreover, the sound adjustments for bass and treble needed some major adjustments on our Yamaha Natural Sound receiver to get to a point where the 430's sounded like $180 headphones.

Our Verdict:

The headphones aren't lightweight by any standard so it is a bit unclear why carbon fiber was used on the backside of the ear cups. It looks great, so we'll leave it at that and move on! The ultimate question is whether or not the design and build quality surpasses the ultimate sound quality. Judging by the looks and price of the 430's, they should sound better than they do. We had the opportunity to test out the Bridge MS 500, one model up in the Phiaton product line and the gain in sound quality may just outweigh the increase in price. This is not to say the 430's aren't a solid pair of headphones for less than $200, but we think more care was put into the design and materials selection than the drivers and tuning. As we always say, give these headphones a listen before committing to a purchase. They won't likely disappoint, but there may be more compelling options in this price range and better value that can be had by moving up the Phiaton product line.

At this year's CES there was no shortage of Bluetooth speakers. As the portable audio trend rages on into 2014, all the major players have gotten in on the action. Braven, however, is no stranger to portable Bluetooth speakers; in fact, it's all they do. Their product line, once unintimidating, has blossomed into seven different models, each designed with a specific user and environment in mind. In a space as competitive as this, manufactures need to be at their best at all times and from our experience with Braven, they have taken this to heart.

The model we are looking at today is the BRV-X, a larger version of the BRV-1, which we had the pleasure of reviewing last June. The BRV-X is mid-sized portable Bluetooth speaker designed with outdoor use in mind. Take one look at it and you can see the design decisions that were made to earn it IPX5 water resistance. Flip through the photo gallery below and you will quickly see that this is a tough little speaker. Given what we have seen from Braven in the past, we have high expectations for their newest rugged speaker. Will it be as good as Braven's previous speakers? Will it be worth the $80 premium over the BRV-1? Read on to find out.

Easy Setup: As with most Braven speakers, setup is as easy as it gets. Power the device on with a long press of the power button and hold the play button. The device enters paring mode and within 15 seconds you're connected to your phone. The only additional setting you need to make is a toggle of the indoor/outdoor switch on the back. We recommend leaving this set to "indoor" but we'll get into that later in the review.

Rugged Design: Take one look at the BRV-X and you know it is purpose-built for the great outdoors. The entire device is wrapped in rubber. All the buttons are integrated with the top of the speaker. The perforated aluminum front grill looks tough. On the bottom of the speaker you'll find large, sticky rubber feet that keep it from moving around. These are the stickiest feet we have ever seen on a portable speaker -- put this thing down and it isn't going anywhere. On the back, Braven keeps the twist cap design to cover up the ports, indoor/outdoor toggle switch, battery gauge LEDs and aux input connector. The downside to keeping the aux connector behind this plate is that you'll be compromising the water resistance with it removed, but let's be honest -- who's using aux inputs these days?

IPX5 Water Resistance: Like its little brother, the BRV-X is IPX5 certified. This means you can keep the tunes going in the rain, on the beach and in the shower. Taking a closer look at the speaker, the only openings are the small perforations on the front grill and on the bottom. The back connections are sealed with a screw off cap and the buttons are covered. This design puts the areas where water could get in on the front and on the bottom, limiting access from falling water. We'd feel confident using this speaker outdoors in pretty much any type of weather. As a side note, we have been using the BRV-1 in a shower for the last 10 months and it still functions as good as it did the day it was unboxed.

Bigger Than BRV-1 But Still Portable: The BRV-X is still small enough to take anywhere. It measures about 9 inches on its longest side and weighs in at around 1.75 pounds (Braven says 1.5, but we put it on the scale and got 28.5 ounces or about 1.75 pounds). Either way, this speaker is light enough to toss in a backpack or side bag without getting weighed down too much. The mounting options are improved over most speakers in this class. In the box you'll find a wrap-around strap with clips and a standard wrist-style strap. The larger strap system is a little tricky to get on the first time around, but thankfully Braven includes instructions on how to do it (yes, sometimes we need to read them). With those two straps, the mounting options are plenty.

Sound Quality: We had high hopes for what the BRV-X would sound like -- and we were not let down. Braven's two driver + bass radiator setup is proven to work and inside the larger chassis of the BRV-X, it is seriously impressive. The thing that always left us feeling amazed is the amount of bass the small speakers are able to put out. Even at low volumes, if you pick up the speaker, you can feel the vibration from that radiator. We hate to sacrifice fidelity for portability and thankfully with the BRV-X, you don't need to.

Indoor/Outdoor Mode: This is the first time Braven has offered "indoor/outdoor" sound processing and it really works. What outdoor mode does is cut back on the low and high end and puts an emphasis on the mid-range. This makes it so you don't overdrive the speakers and helps the sound carry. We set the BRV-X up on table outside and played some tunes at max volume using the "indoor" setting. It sounded great, with no audible distortion and plenty of fidelity. In terms of loudness, when a next-door neighbor fired up a lawn mower, we could still hear the music, but if we could have turned it up louder, we would have. Enter the outdoor mode. With a small flip of the switch, the output level was increased by about 35 percent. It didn't sound nearly as good, but it was loud! For this reason, we chose not to use the outdoor mode, even when outdoors, but it is nice to know that you have that extra reach should you ever need it.

What We Didn't Like:

No Charging Over USB: We love devices that can be charged using USB power. It's just so convenient not having to worry about lugging around an extra, proprietary AC adapter. The unfortunate reality is that the BRV-X likely requires more power than USB can supply to charge that 5,200 mAh pack so we didn't dock Braven any points for this. It's just the sad reality that as you get more firepower in a speaker, you need more AC juice to keep it going.

Our Verdict:

There are a few reasons we have come to appreciate Braven's speakers over the years. The first area Braven stands out is the quality of sound. They use multiple drivers and a bass radiator in most of their models and the resulting fidelity is fantastic. The fact that they all have a USB power port for charging your gear makes them more versatile than much of the competition. The port on the BRV-X can even charge a full size iPad. Last year, the BRV-1 won us all over for its size, sound and rugged design. The BRV-X takes that same excellent design, adds bigger drivers and even more features. For this reason, we highly recommend the BRV-X to anyone looking for a high quality, rugged, Bluetooth speaker -- there aren't too many models out there that are as easy to use, sound as good and offer as many features.

It's 3pm and you are dragging, counting down the hours until you are done with your work or school day. Its time for a music break but maybe you do not have a lot of space to set up a speaker and the sound from your phone's speakers is not going to cut it. The Modre Bluetooth speaker by Lepow delivers great sound, takes up very little space, is super affordable and will have and your friends, schoolmates, co-workers or anyone else around you rocking out in seconds.

Main features and specifications:

Output Power: 3W

360 degree surround sound

Battery: Lithium 3.7V/500mA

Frequency Response: 60Hz – 18KHz

Play Time: Up to 7 hours

Plays up to 10 meters wireless range

Built-in mic for calls

Weight: 6.6 ounces

Dimensions: 3.5 x 2.3 inches

One year warranty

Available in blue, green or orange

What We Liked:

Pair & Play: When you set up the Modre the first time, switch the power on and you will hear a series of tones and voice prompts to let you know when it has been powered up and then again when it is paired with your device. Under your Bluetooth setting, it is important to note that the Modre is identified as a "headset," which threw us off and we kept trying to figure out where the speaker was until we pushed on headset and got connected.

Magic Elephant Design: The first thing you will notice about this nifty little speaker is the way that it comes packaged. The Modre comes tucked inside a tall reusable plastic cup with a silicone lid and was actually a lot smaller than we were expecting. With a slight curve at the top, we can see how the trunk of an elephant inspired its design. The speaker's actual footprint is very small and it weighs in at less than seven ounces so can you bring it along with you everywhere and anywhere. There are no outside controls on the speaker itself, only a power switch on the bottom as well as ports for charging and aux-in on the backside with LED indicators for charging and pairing. A solid base and rubber ring around the bottom keep it from slipping and sliding off of surfaces while its smooth, soft coating and tubular design make it easy to hold onto.

360 Degree Sound: The circular speaker of the Modre is located at the top or "trunk" of the speaker so the sound is projected upwards, outwards and all around. We had no problem filling both a conference room and a backyard party with the sound produced by this mini speaker. Even at max volume for this speaker the sound is clear and crisp without any annoying fuzz or static. Sound is produced evenly and resonates out and around so you hear separate details within tone ranges each time you turn it on.

Small Price To Pay: At around $20, you can afford this speaker. The Modre gives you powerful sound for a small price.

Keeps On Playing: We were able to get about six and a half hours of play before we had to plug the Modre back in and we had no problem getting a little over 10 meters of range between our phone and the speaker without playback disruption. Make sure to switch the power off at the bottom of the speaker when you are done listening since it does not have an auto-off feature. We found this out the hard way the first time we tested it out and forgot to turn it off and drained the battery. While charging, the LED indicator will stay solid red until a full charge is reached in around three hours and it than turns back off.

Make & Take Calls: You can make and take calls using the Modre and for a less expensive speaker, this will get the job done. However, sound was just okay when it came to overall sound quality of our calls. We usually came across muffled and the caller on the other end often had a hard time hearing us especially if there was any background noise going on.

Included Cables: You get a flat 3.5mm audio cable and flat USB charging cable in the box with the Modre. No carry case is included but the flat cabling is appreciated since they actually laid flat and stayed tangle free when we needed to use them.

What We Didn't Like:

No Onboard Controls: The Modre does not have any built-in controls, so to adjust volume, change tracks or take a call you will need to use the controls on your phone or other Bluetooth device.

Power Down: We are not the only ones who have a hard time remembering to power down our devices, since we rarely have to these days. Make sure and switch the speaker off when you are done using it to get the longest battery life between charges.

Call Quality: Like we mentioned above you can definitely use the Modre to make and take calls, but since there are no controls on the speaker you will have to start and end the call using your phone interface. Calls came across quiet and muffled no matter how many times we adjusted the volume or how close our mouth was to the microphone. It gets the job done but it may not be your go to for important calls, maybe just the calls with your mother-in-law.

Our Verdict:

If you are looking to get better sound without forking over a fortune, buy yourself a Modre. This speaker is very affordable, produces amazing sound for its very small size, lets you take and make calls hands-free and even comes inside a reusable cup to boot. The Modre is the ultimate in portable speakers and can fill a room with rich, even sound in seconds. You have nothing to lose and only better sound to gain with the Modre by Lepow.

This mini speaker has won multiple awards including the 2014 reddot design concept award, 2014 IF product design award and Macworld Asia best of 2013 award. We can see why it is so popular with a unique design and a portability factor that makes it easy to take along wherever you go. The Qube 2 by Matrix Audio has two three-watt speakers, is solidly constructed and has an internal battery that keeps on playing so you can get a boost of sound no matter where you are.

Main features and specifications:

Pocket sized @ 6 ounces

Aluminum finishing

Bluetooth enabled

Passive vibrating bass (PVB)

Bluetooth range up to 30 feet

Output: 2 x 3W

Internal rechargeable battery

Up to 10 hours of playback

Dimensions: 4.5 x 2.5 x 6 inches

One year warranty

Available in red, black, silver, blue and purple

What We Liked:

Pocket Sized: Yep the title says it all, the Qube 2 really can fit into your pocket making it ultra portable. Its rectangular shape makes it easy to hold onto or pass along to a friend when you are in a sharing mood. Its durable aluminum finish does not scratch and it stays lightweight at just six ounces.

No Wires: We literally had this speaker up and running in seconds. Just press and hold the power button located below the company's anteater mascot on the left of the speaker until the blue LED indicator flashes continuously. Find the speaker on your device and you are set. When charging the Qube 2, the LED will turn red and will then turn back off when a full charge is reached. Once connected, the LED will continuously flash blue until you power it back down by holding the power button for around four seconds. The power button also allows you to control play and pause, otherwise you will need to use your device to control volume and track changes.

Good Sound (When It Plays): We had a love and hate relationship with the sound produced by this mini speaker. When it was not being interrupted by static or shutting down because we slipped our phone into a pocket or walked around the corner and away from the speaker, it actually sounded great. Tone definition and details were sharp and the music was rich in depth when it played correctly. Keep on reading to find out more about the hate part of the relationship that we ran into with the Qube 2.

Simple Interface: Like we stated above, the Qube 2 is pretty easy to figure out and you won't have to flip through the manual to get it playing. Two three-watt speakers are found at the top of the device, while an input for charging and the power/play/pause button are found to the left side below the Matrix Audio mascot. The right side has a mini handle where the included wrist strap can be attached so you can carry it around without actually having to carry it. You also get a soft case to store it in when you are not using it.

Keeps On Playing: We had no problem getting around nine hours of playback on the Qube 2 before it needed to be charged, which takes around two and a half hours. Make sure to remember and power it down when you are done using it to get the best life out of the battery. An auto shut down feature would have been much appreciated here since we are not always the best at the remembering part when it comes to powering off our devices.

What We Didn't Like:

Constant Interference: Between the static that started interrupting our tunes when turned up past medium volume levels and the fact that it pretty much crashed the minute we got about 15 feet away from it made us want to throw it at the wall at least a handful of times. If you plan on sitting next the Qube 2 with your device within a stone's throw than you should have no problems with the sound whatsoever.

Condition & Pricing: Unfortunately, upon closer inspection of our Qube 2 we noticed that the mesh that was covering the speakers was crinkled and the finish was jagged along the bottom portion of the speaker, which made it look messy and in less than new condition. We were left wondering whether or not it was even inspected before being shipped. Since we also ran into so many problems with sound interference with this speaker, we would have a heck of a time forking over $80 for it too.

Our Verdict:

We had high hopes for the Qube 2 and at first we were not completely disappointed with the quality and clarity of the sound that it produced. Unfortunately the problems started to arise the minute we stepped more than ten feet away from it and it succumbed to constant distortion. At higher volumes, the speaker was plagued with static feedback so we found it best to leave it at lower and mid volumes to keep the peace. Although we appreciated its unique design and layout, the constant interference and high price tag let us down in the end.

Sometimes having a speaker that travels easily, is small and easy enough for both kids and adults to handle that also produces a lot of sound can make everyone a little happier. Let us explain. We recently went on a vacation that involved a very long car ride with four little ones in the back seat. Trying to keep said little ones entertained was getting a little overwhelming and frustrating, especially after the fifteenth, "I'm bored" was expressed from the backseat. Enter the Bluetune Bean by Divoom, an intriguing mini Bluetooth speaker with a very simple interface that allows both young and older users alike to easily share their sound when connected with a Bluetooth device. After we introduced the Bean to the kids, they were more than happy to take turns holding it and they were able to share the sound from their movies and music with each other, which in turn helped a long road trip seem just a little shorter.

Main features and specifications:

Output power: 3W

Total peak power: 6W

Driver size: 50mm micro driver

Signal-to-noise ratio: 75dB

Frequency response: 60-20000Hz

Bluetooth: 3.0

Battery capacity: 400 mAh

Battery Life: Up to 6 hours

Battery charge time: Minimum 2 hours

Built-in mic for hands free calls

Weight: 3.8 ounces

Dimensions: 3.5 x 2.8 x 1.8 inches

Available in black/green, white/purple, pink/red, red/black, yellow/blue and blue/silver

One year limited warranty

What We Liked:

Petite Size: The Bean is small enough to go everywhere you go and weighs in at less than four ounces so chances are that you will probably forget you even clipped it to your bag in the first place. It fits perfectly in the palm of your hand and its rubberized coating makes it easy to grasp and carry along if you so choose. This mini speaker is perfect to take along on your next bike ride, run or day at the beach thanks to its durable design and easy to use features.

Surprising Sound: At first glance this petite speaker does not seem like it would be able to deliver when it comes to sound, but do not let its mini size fool you because its sound is mighty. We were impressed with the overall range and powerful volumes that the Bean can dish out. The 50mm micro driver and passive bass radiator help the speaker to deliver a punch of sound each time you turn it on. With 6W of peak power you are not going to get amazingly rich bass and perfectly detailed tone range; however, you do get strong and solid sound whether you are listening to your favorite music or the latest podcast.

Setup In Seconds: Nothing complicated here, just press and hold the power button on the Bean until you hear it beep, then select it under the Bluetooth settings on your phone or tablet and you are ready to go.

Design & Layout: As far as the layout goes, the Bean is pretty straightforward. The left side of the speaker has a two buttons, one for power and another with a phone symbol for calls. The bottom of the speaker houses the USB charging port, which can be accessed by lifting the cover with the charging symbol. The Bean can quickly be attached to a bag, belt loop, your bike and pretty much anywhere else you want with the included carabiner clip. Play and pause features can be controlled with a single push of the phone button, but volume and track forward or back can only changed by using the controls on your device. To call the last number on your list, simply push the phone button twice quickly.

Price Perfect: At around $30 or less, the Bean is very affordable.

What We Didn't Like:

Noticeable Flaws: Like we said above, you can only control play and pause with the buttons on the Bean, but anything more will need to be done with the controls on your Bluetooth device. The volume levels on this speaker are impressive and you can definitely share your tunes with those around you, but when it comes to bass depth and tone clarity we did notice some fuzz and static even at lower volumes.

Built-In Mic For Calls: If you are listening to the Bean and a call comes in, simply press the phone button to answer and press it again to hang up when the call is over. Pretty easy peasy. However, the problem with making calls using this speaker has to do with sound quality. We had several instances where the caller on the other end complained that every time we spoke all they could hear was a low buzzing noise and that they could barely hear our voice so this may not be your best bet for taking or making calls on a regular basis.

Our Verdict:

When it comes to our speakers of choice, we do not have time to mess around with complicated setups so that is why we appreciated the Bean speaker. Setup literally takes seconds and is fail-proof. The Bean produces sound that is impressive for its tiny size, although we were a bit disappointed in tone depth. This speaker is perfectly portable, weighs nothing and takes up very little space, especially if you clip it to your bag. You can take the Bean out and about or listen to it at your desk so you can quickly fill your space with your sound.

Monster is making a statement in the premium earbud market with the introduction of the Monster Inspiration in-ear headphones. In your choice of black or white with some subdued metallic styling and featuring a mic on an Apple ControlTalk cable, these headphones subtly rest in your ear while producing stellar sound quality whether you are talking or listening.

Monster Cable: Monster started out right by addressing one of our biggest grievances with wired earphones -- the cable. The Inspirations feature a flat Apple ControlTalk cable that is resistant to tangles. We wadded our testers, cable and all into a ball, stuffed them in a pocket and then started the timer to see how long it would take to untangle and get them back in our ears. We were impressed by how easily the cable unfurled and how quickly we were able to begin using the headphones again.

Feel & Finish: Our testers were black, with the actual cover on the outside of the earbud trimmed in a metallic grey. They felt solid and well made without feeling too heavy on our ears. The earhooks have a nice feel and are easy to bend to fit our ears and were comfortable without having to constantly adjust them. The first set of Monster SuperTips ear gels that we tried out were very comfortable, fit well and did a great job of silencing outside noise while enhancing our music. Monster includes a ton of eargels making it simple to find the right size and color to create the perfect match for your ears. As an added bonus the 3.5mm tip for connecting the headphones to our iPhone has a slender cover allowing us to connect the headphones with our iPhone without having to remove the phone case. Many earbuds have excess plastic around the back of the 3.5mm connector which catches on the phone case, only working with a phone once the case is removed, but the Monster Inspirations are designed to avoid this problem.

Sound Quality: We are always apprehensive when testing earbuds for sound quality, primarily because it is difficult to produce decent lows and mids from such tiny drivers. Most earbuds sound tinny and come off a little flat. The Inspirations really surprised us. A couple of times during testing we had to pull them out, just to remind ourselves that they were not over the ear headphones. The tone spectrum was incredibly broad and the lows were even recognizable despite the small size. Stacked up against most of the other over the ear headphones, we preferred putting on the Monster Inspirations. We suspect that the unique eargels play a major part in silencing external sounds so that more of the music can be heard, and honestly, with less external interference we had a much better listening experience whether we were running outside or working around the office.

Nice Extras: The mic and the Apple ControlTalk are a big deal to us. Since nearly everyone buying earbuds these days uses them on their Internet enabled device, it should be a requirement that every set includes a microphone. Monster did not disappoint with an integrated mic that we used for Skype calls, regular phone calls and conference calls. The mic produced clean, clear sound and we did not receive a single complaint or comment that we might be on a bad connection or that we sounded muffled. In fact, one recipient of a call made the comment that the sound was a little too loud and clear, as if we had turned up the volume on their phone. Nicely done Monster!

What We Didn't Like:

Design Downfalls: Our gripes for these earbuds are really limited. We wouldn't mind if they were just a little bit lighter and although running with them in was fine, they felt a tad heavy on the earlobe after about an hour. We would also appreciate some additional eargel shape choices, since everyone's ear is a little different and the included gels are all similar in shape. Lastly, we would like to be able to switch the mic from the left earbud to the right ear bud or have the choice. We found that we prefer the mic on the right side and there isn't a simple way to reverse the earbuds.

Our Verdict:

We were really impressed by the Monster Inspiration Headphones. They exceeded our expectations for in-ear headphones in both sound quality and clarity. Competition in the headphone market is fierce, and Monster has not always had the best reputation for delivering value against price. The Inspirations are expensive compared to the standard, cheap, available at the register earbuds, but they are in a different class. The Inspirations are for the professional that appreciates the quality of their music, abundantly adds audio files to their phone and values the ability to hold a quality conversation on their mobile phone. If you are in the market for some stylish, yet personal and executive friendly earbuds, then the Monster Inspirations are for you.

Looking to make your workday go by a little faster? Maybe you have a favorite song that you love to turn up every time it comes on. If you do not own a BT speaker by now than it is time to invest in one. We guarantee that putting on some tunes while you are working will help the time to pass just a little faster than normal and when that song comes on that you love jamming to, you can turn it up to share with everyone around you. The Jam Plus Bluetooth speaker by HDMX can pretty much go wherever you do, takes up very little space and lets you connect and play your music with your phone or tablet quickly and wirelessly.

Main features and specifications:

Connect wirelessly with BT enabled devices

Battery: Up to 5 hours playback time

Range: Up to 30'

Input: 5VDC; 500mA

Stereo pairing feature

Weight: 9.2 ounces

Dimensions: 3 x 3 x 2.6 inches

Available in blue, purple, grey, pink and yellow

One year limited warranty

What We Liked:

Easy Set Up: This speaker is pretty easy to navigate so you can spend less time setting it up and more time rocking out. Simply press and hold the power button on the bottom of the speaker for about five seconds and make sure the stereo switch is under mono. The speaker will then play a tone to let you know it has been powered on. Select the Jam Plus on your BT device and another loud tone will sound to let you know it has connected while the LED indicator will flash blue while in pairing mode and will then turn solid blue when paired. The front of the speaker houses the controls for the volume as well as the play/pause button. Both the battery status and BT indicator are found here as well. The line in and charging ports can be found on the backside of the speaker while you will find the power button and pairing switch at the bottom of the speaker.

Stereo Pairing: Like the Jam headphones, these mini speakers can be paired together with another Jam Plus speaker. Simply set the speaker switch on one speaker to L and the second speaker to R. Press and hold the power button for about five seconds on the first speaker and then do the same to the second speaker. Find the Jam2 speaker in your BT settings and the speakers will start to pair automatically which takes about twenty seconds, during which time you will hear drum tones until a connection is made between the speakers and you will hear a steal drum tone.

Consistent Sound: The Jam Plus works great in smaller settings like a birthday party at your place, having friends over or hanging out with friends and jamming to your favorite tunes. Sound is best at lower to medium volumes, but when turned up the sound starts to become distorted. Sound detail and clarity were not all that great, but got the job done when we just wanted to listen to music around the house.

Keeps On Playing: We had no problem getting five hours of playback before we needed to plug our speaker back in for a recharge. The box contains a very short mini USB cable to plug into your adapter or computer and be prepared to give the speaker around three hours to get back to a full charge.

Price Ranges: We were able to find this speaker priced from $35 all the way up to $50. For their simple design and overall performance we feel that you should search for the lower price before buying.

What We Didn't Like:

Distortion Prone: There is no doubt that this speaker can definitely fill a room with sound, especially if you pair a set together. The problem is that the quality of sound that they produced is mediocre. At loud volumes, tones and range were blurred and became fuzzy sounding. The speaker actually hurt our ears when it was turned up because the music sounded so distorted. However, if you are going to use them to listen to music at your desk or in a room at lower volumes than the Plus speaker is great.

Loud Pairing: If you are working and want to turn on the Jam at your desk but need to keep it quiet than be prepared for the very loud series of tones that sound off when it is initially paired with a BT device, as well as when it is powered on and off. We tried adjusting the volume but these tones remained loud no matter what we did. It is important to not that this speaker does not have speakerphone capabilities either.

Our Verdict:

If you are looking for a simple BT speaker that can be set up in seconds and plays for hours without a recharge than the Jam Plus may be the perfect fit for you. However if you want rich, vibrant sound than you may want to look elsewhere because this speaker lacks sound range and detail and actually becomes distorted when the volume is turned up. The fact that they can be paired so you can make the sound go a little further and that they portable and pretty affordable still make the Jam Plus speaker worth checking out.

If you have ever looked into getting a wireless speaker but have been turned off after actually hearing it play or seeing the ridiculous price tag than let us introduce one that delivers the best of both worlds. The Voombox by DiVoom delivers massive sound and is designed to go outdoors so you do not have to worry about it every time you set it down. So bring on the dirt, dust, sun and water because the Voombox will keep on playing.

Main features and specifications:

Bluetooth 4.0

Weather resistant

Up to 10 meter wireless range

15W output; 7.5W x 2

Up to 12 hours playback time

Built-in mic; up to 15 hours talk time

Frequency Response: 100-20000Hz

Signal-to-Noise Ratio: >75dB

Battery Capacity: 3200mAh

Battery Voltage: 3.7V

Battery charge time: 3-4 hours

Weight: 2 pounds

Dimensions: 7.2 x 2.4 x 3.1 inches

Available in black, red, blue or green

One year limited warranty

What We Liked:

Immediate Playback: The Voombox speaker came charged up and ready to play the minute we pulled it out of the box. Pairing it with our iPhone 4S took seconds, all we had to do was press and hold the power button on the top of the speaker for about five seconds until we heard a tone and saw the LED indicator flash to let us know it was ready to pair. We selected the speaker under our Bluetooth settings and that was it. The layout of the speaker is very simple and easy to navigate with four buttons along the top that include power, volume down, play/multifunction and volume up. The USB recharging and aux-in ports are hidden on the right of the speaker behind a small “door” that is easy to pop open and closed. The left side of the speaker also has a metal clip where you can attach the included wrist strap.

Rich Sound: The Voombox has five drivers and outputs an impressive 15W of power so you get rich, immersive sound that can fill a large room without any trouble. This is probably one of the best wireless outdoor speakers we have ever tested out when it comes to sound quality. No matter what volume we played the music at, the sound stayed detailed with crystal clear tone clarity even when we stood at the back of the room. Unlike a couple of other wireless speakers we have tried out, the sound remained clear and full no matter what the volume without any static or distortion. We tested this speaker out at a neighborhood block party and no matter how loud the crowd got, we could still hear the music. Thanks to its small size it was easy to transport and set up because it takes up no space and there really is no set up involved. Range was great too and we had no problems getting a little over 10 meters away, even when we walked downstairs or around the corner, the speaker kept on playing without any interruption.

Play Outside: The Voombox is built to take on the elements without breaking down. So you can take it outside and play on through the dust and heat because this speaker is rock solid and can go wherever you travel for an amazing boost of sound. Outdoor movie night, picnic by the river, playing outside with the kids, the basketball court, by the pool, on the beach, camping, hanging out at the ski lodge, washing your car in the driveway, the Voombox can dish out great sound no matter what you are doing. A water-resistant rubberized case protects from dirt and water drops, while a tough metal mesh protects the inside speaker unit. So you can set it on the ground, the pavement or in the dirt without having to worry about it being ruined.

Pack It Up: At just about two pounds, the Voombox is easy to throw in your bag, luggage or into the car for instant sound when you need it. We were able to get 12 hours of playback without any problems before we needed to recharge it and when the battery runs low the speaker will start to beep and the LED indicator changes to solid red. Getting a full charge took us about four hours and the LED indicator will turn off when a full charge is reached. You get both a USB charging and audio cable as well as a wrist strap in the box, but we would have also appreciated a carry case to keep everything together in one place.

Takes Calls Too: When a call came in and we were listening through the Voombox, we simply pushed the MFB button to answer a call or press and held it for a couple of seconds if we didn't want to answer it. Call quality was clear a majority of the time, however we did have some minor problems with voice echoing during a couple of calls. Overall though we enjoyed using the Voombox to go hands-free during those moments when we were busy and could not hold a phone up to our ear.

What We Didn't Like:

Trivial Concerns: Some minor problems with call clarity and the fact that the Voombox is a bit heftier than many other portable speakers were the only features we had problems with. It is also pricier than many at around $100, so make sure and do some searching to find the best price before buying.

Our Verdict:

The Voombox delivers powerful sound in a very portable package. Thanks to its element proof exterior you can take it pretty much anywhere you travel so you can instantly share your sound. This speaker is simple to navigate, set up is a synch and the sound is rich and detailed no matter what volume you have it at. We think that the price is well worth its overall performance and the Voombox crushes the more expensive competitors by delivering better sound at half of the price.

Think Monster just makes cable? Think again. Yes, the high quality speaker wire and audio interconnects are what made them famous, but over the last decade or so their product line has expanded into portable audio accessories, speakers, headphones and even pro audio equipment. Today, we're looking at a pair of headphones from their new "NCredibles" line. They're called N-Pulse and they feature an over-ear, closed-back design with an emphasis on low-end sound. According to Monster, these DJ-style headphones are hand-tuned to bring the most authentic sound to your ears. They don't have active noise canceling but the nature of their design brings passive noise reduction without the need for additional power or circuitry. With a street price of around $200, Monster's N-Pulse have a massive amount of competition. Do these stylish headphones hold up on their promise to bring "a truly authentic, powerful music experience" to the listener? Read on to find out.

Good Looks: Those in the market for an inconspicuous pair of headphones may tend to shy away from Monster's N-Pulse. The design and looks of the N-Pulse can best be described as "bold" and "stylish." This type of styling can easily draw comparisons with the popular Beats line of headphones. The N-Pulse are available in gloss black and white, our model is the former -- and they look good. Black and silver make up most of the outer color pallet, with a dash of red for the "N" of N-Pulse. The inside is gray, the leather ear cups are black and the rivets holding it all together are black as well. Aside from the one minor blemish (in our opinion) of the Monster logo inside the center of the ear cup, the look of these headphones should be well received by most buyers aged 15 to 40.

Passive Noise-Canceling: The closed-back design of the N-Pulse give them the natural ability to block out surrounding noise. They aren't going to work as well as a pair with dedicated active noise-canceling circuitry, but they also don't have the added complication or need for battery power. While testing we found that during music playback they would completely block out normal conversation and background noise from a nearby TV. Most closed style over-ear headphones will offer some level of noise blocking, but the N-Pulse do it exceptionally well.

Frequency Response: The thing that surprised us most about the N-Pulse was their overall frequency response and balanced sound. From the marketing material and packaging, it sounded like we were going to have a pair of headphones only good for listening to rap and other bass-heavy tunes. We were pleasantly surprised that they are much more versatile than that. Out of the box, the sound was actually on the conservative side. After a night of break-in at 50% volume, things started to get more interesting. Overall, we couldn't find a single genre of music that didn't sound good on these headphones.

Excellent Sound When Paired With Headphone Amp: When powered by a portable device, the N-Pulse sound good, but you can't help but feel they aren't being driven to their full potential. We confirmed this theory when we plugged them into AudioQuest's DragonFly USB DAC. For those unfamiliar with what this device is, it bypasses your PC's onboard sound card and turns the digital 1's and 0's of your audio file into what you hear. In addition to offering a higher quality conversion, you get better amplification, which allows you to drive power-hungry headphones. When we plugged the N-Pulse into the DAC they really came alive. Bass was bold, the soundstage had widened significantly and the overall sound went from good to great. Part of this was attributed to the DAC, but the bigger issue at hand is the amount of power the N-Pulse need to be driven to their full potential. When we plugged them into a home theater receiver, we experienced a similar effect. The takeaway here is in order to really experience what these headphones can do, you're going to need more power than your smartphone can offer.

In-line Control: In addition to being resistant to tangling up, the cable that ships with the N-Pulse has in-line controls for play/pause and track change. The small circular button falls a few inches below the left ear cup and is easy to use. We wish it had volume control too, but you know what they say, you can't have it all.

In-line Microphone: On the opposite side of the track change button, there is a microphone for hands-free calling. The inclusion of a mic has become fairly standard for most headphones these days and this one works very well. In our testing callers reported us as sounding loud and clear -- always a good thing!

What We Didn't Like:

No In-line Volume Control: Monster included both playback/track control and a microphone, but no ability to adjust volume. Why they couldn't have included this is questionable for a pair of headphones in this price range. It's not a deal-breaker, but more of an inconvenience that could have been avoided by a simple cable change.

Headband Padding: The N-Pulse are a relatively comfortable pair of headphones, but one complaint is the style padding used on the headband. Instead of soft leather, like the material used on the ear cups, the headband has rubber padding. It appears to be very durable and will likely hold up to the rigors of portable use far better than leather, but it's just not nearly as comfortable. We found ourselves extending the size of the headband and putting more pressure on the ear cups for support to relieve the pressure of the headband. This one design decision made a really good pair of headphones just "OK" in the comfort category.

Price: The N-Pulse can be had for a street price of $199.95 at the time of writing from the Monster web store. This price puts these headphones into a category where there is a lot to choose from. Competitors like Sennheiser, Sony and Audio-Technica make DJ-Style headphones that can go toe-to-toe with the N-Pulse for less money. The deciding factor here is largely going to be based on style. The N-Pulse, with their gloss black finish and cool looks pull them up a bit, but it is our suggestion to try before you buy to make sure you are good with the overall comfort.

Our Verdict:

Monster's N-Pulse are an attractive pair of over-ear headphones with a fair price and very good sound. There are literally hundreds of headphones to choose from in the $150 to $200 price range and what will differentiate the N-Pulse are their looks. The gloss black design with red accents and DJ-style flip out ear cups will resonate with the same crowd that finds the popular Beats line of headphones to be "in style." Beyond the looks, the N-Pulse are a solid pair of headphones capable of making fans of all music genres happy. They play nice with portables and feature both in-line audio controls and a mic for hands free calling. The one thing to keep in mind is that in order to extract the most from these headphones, you're going to need to use a headphone amp or dedicated receiver. When we plugged them into a USB DAC the difference in sound was night and day. This isn't to say they sounded bad when used with a smartphone, it's just that they sounded much better when driven with more power. Our biggest complaint about the N-Pulse is the comfort, especially for longer listening periods. The ear cups are constructed of amazingly soft leather and feel wonderful, but the hard rubber headband is the polar opposite. We're not sure if they were going for durability/looks over comfort, but the designers most definitely sacrificed comfort. At the end of the day, we have a feeling most buyers will lean toward Monster's NCredibles line of street smart headphones for their looks, but it's good to know they have the sound to back it up.

Many jokes can be made on account of the name Outdoor Tech chose for their latest pair of wireless Bluetooth headphones. They're called Privates, and these sub-$100 cans pack a ton of features into an attractively designed, portable form factor. These wireless headphones feature a built-in mic for hands-free calling and a touch interface for easy control of volume and tracks. They are equipped with 40mm drivers to give bass the attention it deserves and a 10-hour run-time on the internal rechargeable lithium battery. Are these affordable wireless headphones worth giving a listen? Read on to find out.

Main Features and Specifications:

Wireless Bluetooth headphones

40mm drivers for strong bass, clear mid-range and crisp highs

One physical button for power and pairing, touch controls for volume and track change

Good Value: Once you get over the name, it becomes clear the Outdoor Tech Privates represent a solid value in the wireless headphone space. They feature touch controls, a built-in mic, and a rechargeable lithium battery all for less than $100. In addition to the flashy features, the raw sound quality is surprisingly good.

Fit and Finish: The design of the Privates is timeless but unique. The headband is constructed of a canvas type material, which appears to be very durable but is equally comfortable. The ear cup design is one that sits on the listener's ear, rather than over it. The soft leather material is extremely comfortable for shorter periods of wear, but starts to lose some points after an hour or so. The outside of the ear cups resembles a large touchpad. It's on this blank canvas that the Privates are controlled with the flick of a finger. Overall, Outdoor Tech did a great job keeping the level of quality and craftsmanship up and it shows.

Sound: The Privates use Bluetooth 3.0 and feature 40mm drivers for enhanced bass response. For a compact pair of wireless headphones we were extremely impressed with the overall range of sounds that they were able to reproduce. These are truly universal headphones with nearly every music genre equally represented, even bass heavy rap and techno. We did find audio quality improved when hard-wired, but this is what we have come to expect with most Bluetooth headphones. The one blemish was a small amount of background hiss from the wireless radio, but more on that later. Overall, the Privates are a pair of wireless headphones that punch well out of their weight class in terms of audio quality.

Touch Controls: Touch controls on a pair of headphones can often come across as gimmicky. After all, chances are the source device is inside your pocket! However, after spending some time with the Privates it is decidedly not the case with these headphones. Because the touch actions are limited to two gestures, the likelihood of them working as intended was much greater than some lesser implementations. We especially enjoyed the touch controls while working out and walking around the city. In the end, more control can be had with a standard wired remote but when your headphones have no wires, this is the next best thing.

What We Didn't Like:

Background Noise: The trouble with Bluetooth and Hi-Fi audio is generally the two don't mix well. The Privates have the makings of a very good pair of headphones in this price range, but the wireless protocol introduces some unfortunate background noise that is very apparent during silent portions of recordings. The good news: the background hiss goes away when hard-wired and is really only noticeable when sitting in a quiet room.

Our Verdict:

We were pleasantly surprised with the quality of sound that came from the Outdoor Tech Privates headphones. For wireless cans to sound this good, you generally need to spend more than the asking price of $100. In addition to the solid performance for all music types, the Privates include unique and convenient touch controls that make for easy volume adjustments and track changes. Just a quick swipe up and you've increased the volume – a quick slide from back to front and you've jumped to the next track. We found these controls to be especially helpful at the gym and while commuting. We did hear some background noise and comfort over longer periods of use is questionable, but overall, the Privates are a solid pair of wireless headphones.

There are many more ways now to consume media than ever before, whether that's streaming music downloading and watching movies or playing apps and games. However, when it comes to your iDevices, it's well known that the audio presentation from an iPhone or iPad are horrendous, requiring you to rely on headphones or external speakers to get tolerable sound from these products. To a degree, you might think that a wi-fi or Bluetooth speaker is the perfect solution for audio needs.

That's where Korus, an audio company with vast experience in home entertainment, amplifier technology and audio design comes in. Believing that speakers needed to deliver a simple to use experience with better acoustic quality compared to Bluetooth and Wi-Fi speakers, Korus implemented a new audio technology which promises to be vastly more reliable and sonically stronger than other units on the market. Its flagship device, the Korus V600 speaker, promises to "deliver sound so real it puts you in the front row of a live concert." How well does it work? Find out below.

Features and Specifications:

LiveStage Acoustic Signature

Side firing tweeters for extra-wide soundstage

Low distortion, deep bass response

Integrated handle for easy portability

Plug in or use anywhere with up to 90 hours of continuous audio playback on 6 "D" batteries (not included)

Ridiculously Easy Setup: We've tested a lot of wireless speakers, and for one with a non-traditional audio format, we were a bit concerned that we might have to spend a lot of time getting our devices to pick up and recognize the SKAA standard. We're definitely happy to say that concern was unfounded. All we had to do is download the app onto our phone, plug in the baton into the bottom of the device (or a USB port), and turn on the speaker. The signal was recognized by our phone and tablet in a matter of seconds, and we were able to instantly control the volume of the speaker and begin playback of audio, games or movies shortly after. It's ridiculously simple.

Multi-Unit Syncing: Not everyone winds up purchasing every single speaker they need for their sound system at once. Fortunately, that's not a problem with the Korus, thanks to its Batons and the app. Up to four separate Korus devices can be paired with one baton at any time, and you can toggle the speaker that you want on or off with the press of an onscreen button. What's more, adding a speaker to your setup is extremely easy. We started with a V600, and added the smaller, yet powerful V400 speaker to the baton by simply pressing the connect button on the top of the speaker. It took seconds to for the new speaker to connect to the app, quickly and easily doubling the output of sound in the room or across the house.

Charge While Transmitting: Using your devices to wirelessly transmit audio to speakers usually drains the battery of your phone or tablet quickly. For instance, if you're watching a movie on a tablet, you can easily find that your battery will drain by 25% or more, reflecting the 2 hours of playback for the movie itself and the output for the transmission of the signal. The end result means that you can find yourself with a very low or dead battery once you're done with your entertainment. That won't happen with the Korus speakers, however; the wireless batons actually have a cable that lets you charge your devices while you're playing content through the speakers. Kiss those drained batteries goodbye!

SKAA Protocol: One of the problems with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth signals is that they can be interrupted easily; Wi-Fi signals can drop quickly depending on the range of the antenna, or can get blocked by the architecture and materials in your house. Bluetooth, on the other hand, can be subject to dropouts, pops, conflicts with other wireless signals, or produce audio artifacts that can ruin your entertainment experience. Korus skips these issues by relying on the SKAA wireless protocol, a standard that professional musicians use for their wireless microphones and guitar packs. While SKA operates in the 2.4GHz spectrum, its Walking Frequency Diversity protocol has a unique frequency hopping algorithm that prevents interruption of signals. The end result means that you have a much more stable and enjoyable experience of whatever media you're playing. You also get much farther distance than Wi-Fi or Bluetooth. You can be up to 65 feet away from the speakers and still control them via app, which is great if you have a large single story spread out floor plan or a multi-story house.

Highly Portable: Ever have the issue with a portable speaker where it's not really as portable as you'd hoped? It's not easy to grab the speaker, especially if you have other items in your hands, or you find yourself treating the speaker with kid gloves because you don't want to impact the device. The Korus V600 fortunately comes with a solid handle built into the shell of the speaker that you can grab to haul the speaker around.

Battery Life: This is simply an awesome feature for the wireless speaker. Let's say that you want to head to a park, but you want to bring your music with you. Since you'll be away from an outlet, all you have to do is bring six D cell batteries, and you'll get up to 90 hours of continuous music. Very few speakers come even close to this kind of battery life.

Line In: If you don't have a device that supports the baton, you can plug in via the line in auxillary port. Not being limited expands the kinds of things you can play and experience through these speakers, which is perfect if your friend comes over with an Android phone or tablet and wants to play DJ.

Huge Sound: This is the big selling point of the Korus V600 -- the sound from the speaker is jaw dropping. The V600 features Korus' LiveStage Acoustic signature, which is designed to place vocals and dialogue at the front of a broadcast, while instruments like guitars and drums are seated in the background. This is supported with the dual side firing tweeters that provide clean, crisp channel separation, as well as extremely low distortion. You also get very deep bass and large amounts of volume thanks to the 100 watt amplifier that pumps out loads of power for your media. This isn't something that you find in most Wi-Fi or Bluetooth speakers, which helps the V600s stand out from other speakers on the market. It also means that you have a speaker that plays a room or house filling amount of sound at lower volume levels. Cranking up the volume doesn't distort your audio either, so you get incredibly sharp and clean sound with whatever you're playing.

What blows you away is just how expansive and rich sound comes across from the V600s. The mid and high range notes were simply striking, instrument solos were piercing and vocals just seemed cleaner than ever before, as if the artist was sitting in the room providing an intimate concert for you. The V600s also provided booming lows and bass notes that felt like it shook the room with its profound depth. The other plus was just how immersive the V600s were when it came to movie watching or game playing, because the clarity of tone and scope of the volume really drew you into the video or the app experience. If you couple this with a multi-unit setup in a room, you have the kind of intense aural experience that can only be found with expensive surround sound systems that cost thousands of dollars (and let's face it, you aren't going to move those from room to room on a whim).

What We Didn't Like:

Intermittent Audio Issues: We ran into a rather strange circumstance that we didn't particularly expect given the SKAA audio protocol, which is more stable than Bluetooth or Wi-Fi signals. For some reason, we discovered that audio playback would decrease in volume or stop altogether during relatively commonplace activities. For example, we would play music that we had stored locally on our iPhone 4S through the native iPhone Music app. Every so often, when we would minimize apps to write and send an email, the song that we were playing would drop a few volume levels or stop playing entirely. This wasn't a massive problem, because the song's place would be saved, so you could restart playback. The same could be said from streams of movies or game audio from your iPad through the speakers, especially if you would minimize the movie to launch a browser window. Other times, volume levels would simply drop without the device we were using going to sleep or receiving a system alert message. Volume would raise itself back over time, but it was quite weird.

What made it somewhat infuriating was the random nature of these issues. We would run multiple audio files through the speakers, or stream different songs. However, we'd only find the audio hitch once every 10 or 20 playback attempts, or randomly over a half hour period of streamed content. Even recreating the exact state of the device couldn't guarantee the results, meaning that this problem could easily crop back up at any moment. We only ran into the hitch when it came to running on iOS units; unfortunately, we didn't know if part of the problem was related to the devices, or whether it was an issue arising from iOS 7.1, so if you have an older iDevice, be forewarned.
Removal of Cases/Sensitive Baton: If you want to use the batons on your iphone or your iPad, you're going to have to remove the case that the device is in to insert it into the 30 pin or Lightning slot. It's not always the greatest thing to remove your case, but it does happen. However, the insertion of the baton brings up a separate issue, which is that the batons themselves can be quite sensitive. Contact with, or near, some of the transmission areas, even if its lying flat, can be enough to disrupt the SKAA signal, which is always a concern since you have something jutting out of your iDevice.

Non-Existent EQ Settings: As audiophiles know, you don't keep the same audio settings on a receiver for a movie that you do for music playback, and you even adjust your settings differently based on the genre of music you're listening to. However, you only have mute, individual speaker or master speaker volume controls, which don't let you establish or tailor your EQ settings. The V600 does sound incredible by itself, but it would be better to tweak everything further.

Price: The V600 is rather pricey, with a bundle on its website going for $449.99. That's definitely more than many other wireless or Bluetooth speakers out there. However, when you consider the incredible sound quality that's produced by the speaker, this is a minor informational point than it is a flaw. You'll have to determine how much or if you're willing to pay for room filling sound.

Our Verdict:

There are tons of wireless or Bluetooth speakers on the market, but the Korus V600 easily put them to shame. The small, portable speakers can run up to 90 continuous hours via battery, or can be plugged in and synced up with multiple V600 speakers (or smaller V400 units) to create an immersive sound experience that other speakers simply can't compete with. The unit has an incredibly simple setup and controls for speakers via app, and adding a speaker to your existing multi-room network is as easy as pressing a button for a few seconds. But it's truly the sound quality, which rivals that of expensive surround sound theater systems that will blow you away, especially because it's in such a small package.

Although you have to remove the case of your iDevice to plug a baton in (which can result in accidental disruption of transmission via the SKAA protocol), and there aren't EQ settings to tailor your audio content based on the content you're listening to or playing, the tonal quality of the Korus V600 speakers are strong enough to overcome many of the concerns of most audiophiles. You'll also experience pretty rock solid audio delivery thanks to the SKAA audio protocol (although if you have an older iDevice, you may find some intermittent hiccups here and there). Overall, the Korus V600 speakers are some of the best speakers around, with awe inspiring sound that anyone interested in quality audio should get their hands on.

Dealing with cables and cords can be a real headache, especially if you carry more than one device inside your bag and that is why we appreciate headphones that are completely wireless so you there is one less cable to untangle from the rest. The Jam Fusion Bluetooth headphones by HDMX can wirelessly connect with pretty much any Bluetooth device out there while doubling as a headset with a built-in speaker for taking calls. Their lightweight and simple design allows you to fold them up when you are done using them so you can easily take them wherever you go.

Main features and specifications:

Wirelessly listen to your Bluetooth enabled devices up to 30' away

Connect to another pair of Fusions wirelessly

Built-in speaker for taking calls

Up to 6 hours of wireless play

Weight: 5.0 ounces

Available in black, red, purple and white

One year limited warranty

What We Liked:

Jam In Just Seconds: If you are not quite sure how to connect the Fusions with your BT device, the included quick start guide can be very helpful. Otherwise the setup is pretty standard and easy to figure out. Simply go to the BT settings on your device, make sure the Jam pairing switch on the headphones is switched to the headphone symbol, press and hold the power button for about five seconds until the indicator light begins to flash and then select the headphones on your device. Pretty simple.

Ready To Jam: We love it when a new piece of tech comes charged and ready to use right out of the box and the Jam Fusions were all charged up and ready to play the minute we opened them up. The LED indicator on the right side of the headphones below the play/pause button is easy to understand too. A solid red light indicates charging mode, a solid blue equals a full charge, a flashing blue light means that the headphones are in pairing mode and a slow flashing blue indicates that they are paired. We were able to get almost six hours of playback time from our pair of Jams and when they started to run low on power they start to beep every forty seconds or so to let us know they need to be recharged. It will take around three hours to get a full recharge and they can be connected with the included USB to micro USB cord to a computer or AC adapter. Make sure to power them down to conserve the battery but in case you run out of power you can continue to listen through the headphones via the AUX cable.

Pair To Share: The Jam2 pairing feature is pretty cool if anyone you hang out with also owns a pair of these headphones. Just move the pairing switch to the Jam2 symbol and power up your headphones. The BT indicator light will then flash until the units are paired and you can rock out together. It's just a bummer that this feature only works with another set of the exact same Fusion headphones. It is important to note that it took us a couple of tries before we could get a connection established to share the audio with the other set of headphones, but we did eventually get them working together. The range on the Fusions is great at 30' and we were able to walk into another room or go upstairs without any interference or distortion.

Easy Interface & Lightweight Design: All of the controls for the Fusions can be found on the right side of the headphones with buttons that lay flush with the headband design. The power and play/pause buttons are in the center black strip, while the forward and rewind buttons are found to the left of the power in red and the volume up and down are on the right side of the power button. It took a couple of tries before we could find the button we were looking for without having to take them off and look. Raising the individual symbols could have helped with the blind navigation that is required to operate the Jams. The pairing switch to share your audio with another set of Jam headphones is located on the right side of the headphones right next to the earpad. The line-in audio jack is found under the left earpad and the USB charging port is found under the right earpad.

Built-in Speaker: Press any button on the headphones to answer an incoming call and to end a call press any button except the volume buttons to hang up. To refuse an incoming call, simply press and hold any button for three seconds. When making calls, you will still need to use your phone to dial. Call quality was not too shabby, a little on the quiet side but we could hear and be heard just fine.

In The Box: The Fusions fold up nicely and can fit straight into the included carry pouch to keep them in pristine condition. You also get a USB cord and 3.5mm AUX cable in the box, just make sure to keep them in the bag as well in case you are out and about and need them for charging or listening.

What We Didn't Like:

Need To Breathe: After only about twenty minutes of wearing the Fusions, we had to take them off to let our ears take a break. They are not the most comfortable set of headphones we have tested out so we had a harder time reaching for them when we wanted to listen wirelessly. We also found that in order to get the best fit, the headband needs to lay at the top of the head so if you prefer to listen with the band tilted towards the back of your head at even the slightest angle, the fit of the earpads will not be as snug because of their semi rectangular shape. Even though we adjusted them by tugging up or down on either earpad, they still slowly yet consistently slipped up and off the bottom portion of our ears. This would not be our go-to headset for most outdoor or on the go activities.

Call Quality: While we were able to take calls on the Fusions, the sound quality of the calls was just okay. We were told several times that our voice sounded muffled so these may not be the best headphones to use while driving or if there is a lot of noise around. We noticed some sound interference during a couple of our calls as well.

Sound Range: There is no doubt that the Fusions can get very loud, but sound range and depth was hugely lacking. The sound was not rich or explosive but instead reminded us of listening to music through the good old-fashioned stereo speakers in our car. We were unable to find any detailed specifications within the manual or on the website when it came to the description of the drivers, frequency response or any other specifics about the build behind the sound design of these headphones either.

Overpriced Price Tag: We were able to find the Fusions ranging in price from $80-$100, a price tag that seems way too high for headphones that we found uncomfortable to wear for longer periods of time and that lack in the sound quality department.

Our Verdict:

Having a good set of headphones is vital if you are into listening to music, podcasts, watching shows or playing games on your phone. If those headphones allow you to take calls than they get bonus points. The Jam Fusions looked promising and worked well at first. However, after about a week straight of wearing and listening through them we were disappointed with their overall sound quality and although they get loud, the sound distribution very much lacks depth and precision in every tone range. We were also disappointed that they consistently felt uncomfortable after only about twenty to thirty minutes of wearing them, which had us taking them off on a frequent basis.

About six months ago we had the pleasure of reviewing Wren's Play-Fi version of the V5 wireless speaker. We were delighted by the looks and sound, but the Play-Fi streaming standard did not live up to what the rest of the speaker had to offer. For this reason, we jumped at the chance to take the AirPlay version out for a spin. For those unfamiliar with Wren, they are an audio upstart founded by industry veterans who know a thing or two about home audio.

The speaker we are looking at today is called the Wren V5AP, AP referring to its wireless streaming standard, AirPlay. The V5 is a looker - instead of plastic, it's constructed of half-inch thick MDF and finished with a beautiful bamboo veneer. A silicon pad engraved with the company name spans the entire base of the speaker, stabilizing the chassis and eliminating cabinet vibrations. Spend a few moments soaking in this wireless speaker and it is very apparent Wren wants to compete with the higher end market players. The V5 is available in three wireless standards, AirPlay, Play-Fi, and Bluetooth – the model we are looking at today works with with Apple's proprietary standard, AirPlay. Do the looks match the performance of the Wren V5AP? Read on to find out.

In the box: Flip the lid of this easy to open, reasonably “green” packaging and you'll find the Wren V5 speaker encased in a soft white cloth, USB cable, IR remote control, AC power brick, AC outlet cable and a set-up manual.

What We Liked:

Easy AirPlay Setup: Setting up a speaker as an AirPlay device used to be, for lack of a better expression, a pain in the butt. It typically involved typing in IP addresses and passwords and often resulted in failure at first attempt. The good news is most AirPlay devices now have the ability to be set up via iOS device and the Wren V5 is one of them. Now, all it takes is a quick app download and a direct USB connection from your iOS device to the speaker. The speaker “learns” the wireless network credentials from your device and after about 30 seconds it will show up on the network. It took all of about 2-minutes to get the V5 up and running on our wireless network. The app also gives you additional configuration options, such as device name and power savings settings.

Looks and Build Quality:The V5AP is a beautiful AirPlay speaker. It is offered in two flavors, rosewood and bamboo – our review model was the latter. The rosewood is very dark brown with a reddish hint and the bamboo is lighter. If you've seen a bamboo butchers block or high quality bamboo flooring -- there is certainly a resemblance. The front grill is a type of silver color and it is outlined with a greyish silver plastic bezel. The entire speaker base is covered in a silicone pad. It's soft to the touch and feels like it has a good amount of shock absorbency properties. Not only does it help absorb cabinet vibrations, it also helps keep the speaker from moving around on whatever surface it is placed.

Controlling the V5 mostly happens from your computer or phone, but we occasionally used the onboard volume controls. The backlit power button didn't get much use, as it is fairly typical to leave an AirPlay speaker on all the time for reasons of convenience. Overall, the controls are simple and the minimalist look is very attractive. The designers over at Wren did an excellent job giving this speaker some character and used high quality materials to do it.

Hi-Fi Sound in A Small Package: As with most audio geeks, a pre-requisite review of the specs is always in order before pressing play. When we found out the V5 only had 3-inch drivers and no dedicated woofer, we were a little worried about how it would handle the low end – and how loud it could play. We're pleased to report that both of these concerns evaporated within seconds of pressing play.

What We Didn't Like:

Bulky AC Adapter: The one minor quibble we had with the Wren V5 was the use of an external power “brick” instead of a simple AC cable. There may have been sound engineering considerations for this design choice but it makes for a messy look on a counter. We didn't dock the V5 for this, but hopefully in the next version, they will build the power supply into the device.

Our Verdict:

The Wren V5AP is a beautiful speaker crafted of wood and finished in elegant bamboo. Place it in any room and you can be sure it will start a conversation. The sound engineers at Wren knew what they were doing when they designed this small wireless speaker. From two small 3-inch drivers and 19mm tweeters pours room-filling sound of the highest caliber. AirPlay setup happens in minutes and the addition of the iOS app is a nice touch. Overall, if you're looking for a natural sounding, extremely attractive AirPlay speaker, give the Wren V5AP a listen.

There are plenty of headphones out there to choose from, some focus on their look while others advertize amazing sound only to leave you truly disappointed once you test them out. These are not the first set of headphones we have tried out by UrbanEars and it probably will not be the last, but the one thing that we have consistently noticed about their headphones is their quality. The Humlan headphones are no different and continue this trend with a simple yet durable design and produce rich, vibrant sound that will impress you every time you put them on.

Main features and specifications:

40mm dynamic drivers

Frequency response: 20Hz – 20kHz

Sensitivity: 100dB

Impedance: 32 Ohms

Max Input Power: 100mV@ 1kHz = 100dB SPL

ZoundPlug for music sharing

Machine washable ear cushions and headband

3.5mm stereo plug

In-line microphone and remote

47" tangle resistant fabric cord

Weight: 4.2 ounces

One-year warranty

What We Liked:

Wash & Wear: Let's be honest, no one wants to share their headphones. The thought of someone else's sweaty head and ears snuggly fit against your headphones is not a pleasant one. That is why we think the whole wash and wear concept is one that anyone can appreciate. Community headphones are a deal breaker for us, but if we just happen to have to share the Humlan's with someone else, both the ear cushions and headband can easily and quickly be removed and thrown into your washer along with your shirts and socks. Just make sure to wash them with similar colors at 30? and then hang them up or lay them out flat to dry.

Amazing Audio & Design: We were impressed with the quality of sound produced by these headphones since their actual size and dimensions are so much simpler and smaller than so many of the oversized and overdesigned headphones that are found on the market today. Maybe you own a pair or two of those cheaply made headphones, you know the ones that you bought last minute to get you by without having to spend a fortune. The Humlan's price and quality may surprise you because these headphones are far from cheap with a sturdy build that is designed to last. These headphones have a soft cloth lining that is wrapped around the wired headband, the ear cushions are finished in a soft rubberized coating while the ear cushions themselves can be washed over and over without falling apart. Range and tone clarity were spot on each time we used them and high, low and middle ranges were all distinct and clear without becoming distorted even when the volume was turned all the way up. We also liked that their unique and effortless design made them easy and comfortable to where no matter where we were. There are way too many headphones out there that are just too crazy looking to wear in public, but the Humlans do not have that problem and they look and feel like a set of headphones should.

Designed To Fit: From the get go these headphones were snug and fit firmly around our head and ears without too much adjustment. When we did want to adjust them, a simple push and pull on each headphone made for a more comfortable fit. The ear pads are labeled left and right which matters since wearing them backwards messes up their fit, and because these headphones do fit so snug we wanted to test them out while doing some of our normal weekly activities. We tried them out while running, doing yard work, running errands and even used them in the car, and the fit stayed tight yet comfortable without having to adjust them over and over again.

Cord & Calls: The 47" tangle-free fabric cord on the Humlans is just the right length without being too long, and the cord truly stayed free of tangles every time we had the headphones on. The cord also houses a microphone and remote for calls and controlling your music. Call quality was clear on both ends and the remote was easy to use with one button that controls pause, forward and rewind for music.

Music Should Be Shared: Like other UrbanEar headphones we have tested out in the past, the Humlans also have the ZoundPlug, a feature that allows you to share your music without actually having to share your headphones via the plug-in at the bottom of the right ear cap. This feature is especially handy when you are travelling with little ones in the car who only have one device to watch or play on and want to share the sound without disturbing everyone else in the car.

Appreciated Extras: We love that these headphones come with a washable mesh bag to carry them around in and we love that they come in so many color choices. Seriously, you can choose from over a dozen colors so you can get them in your favorite color without them looking tacky or overdone.

Affordable Price: At around $45, the Humlans are an affordable investment that are built to last and will deliver quality sound each time you put them on.

What We Didn't Like:

Tight Fit: Like we said above we enjoyed the snug fit of the Humlans 90% of the time but eventually had to take them off because our ears needed to breathe and the earpads do start to get a little too tight. We also would have loved it if the earpads were just a little larger. For those with smaller ears, you may notice that they barely fit completely around the width of your ears so those with larger ears may have harder time with these headphones.

Bass Depth: Even as we turned the volume way up the music stayed clear, but the depth in bass began to lack. Bass range was not as detailed and as strong as we would have liked, but the overall sound quality still came across clear and had us rocking out.

Our Verdict:

Wearing the Humlans was a breeze and we found them to be consistently comfortable. They produce dynamite sound and their affordable price tag make them a great buy for anyone looking to own a better set of headphones. Say no to all those cheap brands and to that tacky set of headphones that you would not be caught wearing in public and yes to the rich sound and easy to wear Humlans by UrbanEars.

If you're looking for an AirPlay speaker that will draw some attention, there are a few models that come to mind. The Loop, a new speaker from Denmark based Libratone is one of them. The Loop is shaped like a disk, and instead of a speaker grill, you'll find an Italian wool cover. The design is somewhat out there and after spending some time with the Loop, we're convinced that if you're looking for a conversation piece, this is it. Aside from its interesting looks there is a lot to like about this unique device. It's a compact speaker so it doesn't take up much room on a shelf or desk. Inside, you'll find high-end components, including a ribbon-based tweeter. A 4-inch woofer pushes lows to a reported 40 Hz, while the tweeters chirp highs up to 20 kHz. That is an impressive frequency response for a speaker this size. On paper, the Loop should produce some impressive sound, read on to see how it performed in the real world.

Getting the Loop up and running is an effortless task. Instead of a complicated configuration requiring use of a laptop, the Loop can be set up using an iOS device. Just plug it in to your iPhone or iPad and press the only two buttons on the back of the speaker. Within seconds a dialogue pops up and asks of you want to share your wireless configuration with the Loop. Click "Allow" and the Loop will show up as an AirPlay device on your current wireless network. It truly doesn't get any easier than that. It's also worth mentioning the Loop comes with a feature called PlayDirect, which sets up a direct wireless network, bypassing the need for an existing Wi-Fi network. This is helpful if you want to travel with the speaker or use it where a wireless network is not available. Overall, the Loop is by far the easiest AirPlay speaker we have had the pleasure of setting up to date. Well done, Libratone.

Initial Impressions:

The first thing we noticed about the Loop was its ability to generate a tremendous amount of bass for its size. Given the four-inch mid-bass driver, we weren't expecting to hear lows this low. A pleasant surprise left us with room filling bass that was frankly quite shocking. We have a feeling this is accomplished with the DSP and the rear porting. We were equally impressed with the way the ribbon-based tweeters handled the high-end. This is truly high-end sound packed in a compact and visually engaging package.

Design:

For the design of the Loop, beauty is most certainly going to lie in the eye of the beholder. The dish-like shape and wool front is not what you find on a typical AirPlay speaker. While we appreciate what Libratone was going for when they designed this speaker, this reviewer did not like the loose-fitting wool front "grill." The black color and odd texture just didn't look good with surrounding decor. That being said, some of the color wool covers that are offered may look better, especially when matched with things like curtains or paint color. Aside from the looks, the overall build quality was very good and the audio control via the front multi-function button was intuitive. The included ability to wall-mount the Loop was novel, but the likelihood of most listeners drilling a hole for a power cable is low. Not a problem, the tabletop tripod-style stand is equally attractive and functional.

Sound:

As we alluded to in our initial impressions, the sound quality from the Libratone Loop was very good. It's clear that high quality components were used in this speaker and when positioned correctly, the round shape does help project sound. We were able to fill a room measuring about 20 by 30 feet with ease. The sound is more dimensional than Libratone would let on, meaning there would be great benefit to having a "left" and "right" channel to the setup, but these mono table-top speakers will always sound better with a counterpart. Given its size, we found the Loop sounded best in a small to medium sized room. A bedroom or kitchen would be our top recommendation for venue. Bass is exaggerated with proper placement, in a corner or about 6-inches from a back wall. We didn't experience any "boomy" bass across various placements and that is always a good thing with these all-in-one speakers.

Our Verdict:

The Libratone Loop is a great little AirPlay speaker. Sound quality is very good and the ease of setup and use is top notch. However, with an MSRP of $499.99, the Loop faces a great deal of competition. For that kind of money one can have a Sonos Play 5, the Cambridge Audio Minx 100, or Bowers & Wilkins lauded A5. The former two offering many more features than the basic AirPlay streaming found on the Loop and for about $100 less. At the end of the day, Libratone put together a high quality AirPlay speaker in a very unique case. If you fancy the design and have the cash to spare, you will not be let down by this novel device.

Some synonyms you may think of when you heard the word small are tiny, minute, miniature, little and petite, and these are all words that precisely describe the ME Thumbsize speaker by X-mini. This is one of the first portable speakers that we have come across that truly matches its thumbsize description. Measuring at only 1.7 in height and 1.5 wide, this speaker can literally fit in a pocket and is truly compact in every way, shape and form. If you have ever wanted to boost your sound without having to carry around a hefty speaker, the ME can do that.

Main features and specifications:

Dimensions: 44mm x 38mm

Speaker: Magnetically shielded 31mm

Loudspeaker Output: 1.5W

Frequency Response: 200 Hz 20 kHz

Distortion: <0.3%

Playback Time: Up to 6 hours

Battery Capacity: 230mAh

Battery Charging Voltage: 5V (USB)

Battery Charge Time: 1.5 hours

Available in gunmetal, pink, blue and yellow

Weight: 1.5 ounces

What We Liked:

Size Factor: Like we said above, the ME is tiny, takes up no space and has a unique look too. Think of those little barrels that Donkey Kong throws around. It weighs nothing and is ultra portable so it naturally became our new go to device when it came to sound enhancement. The built in metal clip and included lanyard made it easy to attach onto a bag or backpack so we could clip it on without worrying about losing it in between uses.

Serious Sound: We were impressed with the serious sound produced by this mighty mini. We have tried out several portable mini speakers that start to really distort the sound once the volume starts to go up. Even at louder volumes, the quality and tone stayed pretty consistent and although we noticed some sound crackling, it was minimal and the ME can firmly produce sound depth with clarity that is notable. Plug this little guy into your tablet, smartphone or game player to get better sound instantly wherever you happen to be.

Protective Cap: The attached soft rubber protective cap is great for keeping dirt and dust out of the speaker and easily covers the speaker when its not being used. It fits snuggly over the speaker and is easy to take off and put back on when you are done using the ME.

Battery That Lasts: If you can remember to turn the speaker off when you are done using it, than you will have no problem reaching six hours of playback time before a recharge is needed. Luckily, the ME only requires about an hour and a half to get back to a full charge via the included micro USB to USB plug in.

Cable Organizer: We will give the folks at X-mini credit for keeping the cords needed for this speaker from being too long, keeping it tangle free thanks to the built-in tuck and wrap up cable organizer that houses the micro USB, stereo plug in and USB cables. There is no carry along bag included to keep the speaker and cables together however and you will need to bring the cables along in order to get the speaker to work since they are specifically designed to work together.

Priced To Sell: At $25 this is one little speaker whose small size also matches its small price tag.

What We Didn't Like:

Don't Lose The Cables: Like we said above, make sure to keep this cable setup in a safe place along with the speaker because if you lose the cables you will not be able to play the ME. The cable setup is unique with "Y" setup, a micro USB cable at the bottom, with the stereo input jack to the top right and a standard USB connector to the top left. A universal plug setup would have been nice since the unique cabling is needed every time for playback.

Sound Depth: Do not expect base notes to go too deep with the ME, the songs that we played with deep base range were not all that stellar, but this is a mini speaker after all and for the size we thought the tone range was very decent.

Our Verdict:

Yoda's quote, "Judge me by my size, do you?" quickly came to mind when we tried out the ME and seemed to fit this mini sound giant perfectly. Sure, it is small but X-Mini's motto, sound beyond size, really does fit this intuitive little device. It's miniature size produces magnified sound and we were always impressed when we turned it on. Mid and high tones were spot on and although bass definition was lacking, sound magnification was no problem no matter where we took the ME.